Sound reproducing apparatus



Now 14s 1933. R. E. BowLEY 1,934,693

SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1952 Patented Nov. 14, 1933UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE y 1,934,693 SOUND REPRoDUoING APPARATUSRaymond E. Bowley, San Anselmo, Calif.

Application september 12, 1932 Serial No. 632,763

Bassum 1s claims. (o1. 181-31) higher frequencies, harmonics, partialsand overtones originally produced byV a source of sound vibrations.

lAnother object vof my invention is to provide sound reproducingapparatus capable of reducing and absorbing excessive 'sound vibrationsordinarily accompanying anincrease 'of volume, thereby finally effectingthe production of tones having true and undistorted qualities.

A further objectofv my invention `is to provide a loud speaker having alarge number of tubular vibratory members arranged in positions wherebysound vibrations may be simultaneously transmitted in diierentdirections to and from areas located immediately surrounding andadjacent the loud speaker.

'A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved soundreproducing unit including a loud speaker anda plurality of tubularmembers arranged in different positions in front of and adjacent thecone of the loud speaker, the said tubes forming a plurality ofindividual air chambers within and through which sound vibrations may becarried to and from different areas located adjacent the loud speaker,Whereby a satisfactory blending of the tones may be satisfactorilyaccomplished.

Other` objects more` or less apparent and too numerous to relate indetail, will appear from the description of my-invention which is tofollow. y 1 i In the accompanying-drawing:

Fig. 1L is a rear elevation ofvsound reproducing apparatus constructedin accordance with my invention;A

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; andu Fig. 4 is anenlarged front view of a portion of the apparatus, showingcertain' parts thereof broken away and other parts in section. K Y

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 desiganother.`

nates aradio or reproducer cabinet or casing having an opening in itsfront side for the passage of sound waves and a plurality of vertically'disposed partitions 2 extending rearwardly from the said front .side orbaiile or sound board.

Suitably secured to the front side of the cabinet by screws 3 or yotherIsuitable means is a coneshaped loud speaker 4 having the usual means 5at its reduced end for producing sound vibrations. f

Secured'between the outwardly disposed peripheral iiange 4 of the loudspeaker cone and the frontside of the cabinet by means of the screws 3,is any auxiliary ring shaped diaphragm,v generally designated by theletter D. The diaphragm D is positioned around the openingA in the frontside of the cabinet with certain tubes `thereof extending across thesaid opening. As

shown in Fig. 4 the diaphragm D includes a front ring shaped support 6,constructed from paper,` fiber or other suitable material. is spacedfrom the front side of the cabinet by pads '7 through which the screws 3extend. The pads serve to prevent the disiiguration of a plurality ofshort tubes 8 which are secured to and are distributed'around the .frontsurface of the ring shaped support 6 in spaced relation to one`Positioned between the ring shaped support 6 and another similarlyshaped and constructed support 9, are a plurality of vertically.`disposed tubular members 10, constructed from paper, fiber, or othersuitable material. Positioned between` the ring shaped support 9 and arearwardly disposed supportv 11V, having the "same shape andconstruction, are a plurality of horizontally disposed tubular members12, some of which extend entirely across the central openings in theringshaped supports. Suitablyk se- 'cured to the rear surface of the support11 are a plurality of short tubes`13 which are distributed around thesaid support in spaced relation to one another.V A plurality of. pads14, interposed between the annular ange 4 of the cone 4 and therearwardly disposed support 1l serve to preventl disiiguration of theVtubes 13. The screws 3 extend through the pads 14 and 7 andserve asmeans cone 4 in their proper positions with reference to the opening inthe front side of the cabinet.

The support 6 l for maintaining the auxiliary diaphragm and the v'graduated as to size.

located directly in front of the said cone, thereby permitting soundvibrations to freely circulate between these areas. Some of the tubularmembers 12 extending entirely across the space in front of the open endof the cone and connect areas in the cabinet located on opposite sidesof the loud speaker. The spaced short tubes 13 being` circumferentiallydistributed around the ring shaped supports 6 and 11, serve to providevibratory air chambers which communicate with` different areas locatedaround and between the supports.

Extending across the space in the cabinet located between the partitions2 and either above or below the loud speaker cones, are a plurality oftubular members 15, which are preferably The ends `of the tubularmembers 15 extend entirely through the partitions 2 and serve to providemeans for carrying sound vibrations from one side of the cabinet to theother.

The sound vibrations produced by the device 5, which in a radioreceiving set is the means employed` for translating electrical impulsesinto sound vibrations, proceed through the cone 4 and cause lthe same tokvibrate in the usual manner. The sound vibrations produced `within andaround the cone 4` pass in various directions through the tubes and,tubular members of the auxiliary diaphragm D, thereby causing acomplete blending of `the tones finally proceeding through the openingin the front of the cabinet. The tubular Vmembers and tubes provide amultiplicity of air chambers within which the sound vibrations proceedto and from different parts of the cabinet, and the vibration of saidtubes thereby causes the production of `high frequencies, harmonics andovertones, `with the final result that accurately reproduced tones reachthe ears of the listener. The larger tubes 15 located at the rear of the-loud speaker cone 4 carry the sound vibrations from one side of thecabinet to the other, thereby materially assisting in the blending andintermingling of the sound vibrations within these areas. Those of thetubes l2 which extend across the openings in front of the cone 4 provideair chambers or passages which carry `sound waves from one side of theloud speaker to the other. The large `number of tubes associated withthe loud speaker cause a multiplicity of vibrations to be simultaneouslysetup within the cabinet, thereby enriching the quality of the toneswhich finally proceed to the earof the listener.

The various tubes and tubular members associated with the loudspeakermay be constructed i in any desired form or shape from any desirablekind of material,v it being apparent that other forms may be employedwith equal satisfaction. The particular `arrangement and relativepositions of the tubes may be also varied to meet certainvconditions,itsometimes being desirable to employ-a larger number of tubes withtheir relative positions being arranged in a different `order than shownon the drawing. It is therefore Vdesired that the limits `my inventionmay assume be governed by the appended claims rather than `by theparticular form shown and described herein.

Having ldescribed my invention what I claim is:

1. Sound reproducing apparatus comprising a source of sound. avibratory'diaphragm associat- `ed with the source, and auxiliarydiaphragm including plurality of tubular members mounted on supportingmeans, the auxiliary diaphragm being in physical contact with thevibratory diaphragm.

2. In sound reproducing apparatus, a vibratory cone-shaped diaphragm,and a plurality of tubular members er `ending from points outside thediaphragm to points in iront of the interior of the same, the saidmembers being positioned substantially at right angles to the axis cithe diaphragm.

3. In sound reproducing apparatus, a coneshaped diaphragm having meansfor producing v sound vibrations at its reduced end, an auxiliarydiaphragm engaging the enlarged end oi the coneshaped diaphragm, thesaid auxiliary diaphragm including a plurality of tubular inem* bersmounted on a supporting member.

4. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cone shaped diaphragm having soundreproducing means associated therewith, and a series of tubular memberspositioned across the enlarged end of the diaphragm at right angles tothe axis thereof.

5. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cabinet, a loud speaker mounted inthe cabinet, and an auxiliary diaphragm including a plurality of tubularmembers `mounted on a ring shaped support, the said diaphragm beinginterposed between the loud speaker and the cabinet.

6. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cabinet having a sound openingtherein, a loud speaker unit positioned to direct sound vibrationsthrough the opening, `and a series of hollow members interposed betweenthe loud speaker and the cabinet, .the said members being in contactwith the loud speaker.

'7. In sound reproducing apparatus a cabinet having a sound opening inits side, a cone-shaped loud speaker positioned with its enlarged endadjacent the opening in the cabinet, and a series of hollow memberslocated between the front end of the loud speaker and the cabinet,certain of the hollow members being in contact with the loud speaker.

.8. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cabinet having a sound openingtherein, a loud speaker positioned directly behind the opening, and anauxiliary diaphragm positioned between the loud speaker and the cabinetand located at points around the said opening, the said auxiliary dia-Uphragm including aV plurality of sets of `hollow members, the hollow`members of one set being disposed atan angle to the hollow members oianother set.

9. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cabinet having a sound openingtherein, a partition member in the cabinet forming a plurality ofcompartments, sound reproducing means in the cabinet, and a plurality oftubular members located at the rear of the sound reproducing meansextending from one compartment to another.

10. In sound reproducing apparatus, an auxiliary diaphragm comprising asupport having a plurality of hollow members secured thereto.

11. In sound reproducing apparatus, an auxiiiary diaphragm comprising asupport having a plurality of tubular members secured thereto, some ofthe tubular members being positioned at angles to other of the saidmembers.

12. In sound reproducing apparatus, a cabinet 13. In sound reproducingapparatus, a cabinet having a sound opening in a side thereof, aconeshaped diaphragm positioned in the cabinet with its enlarged endattached to the side of the cabinet at points around the openingtherein, and an auxiliary diaphragm interposed between the cabinet andthe enlarged end of the loud speaker, the said auxiliary diaphragmincluding a support having a plurality of hollow members securedthereto.

14. In sound reproducing apparatus,`a cabinet having a sound openingtherein, a source of sound vibrations, a cone-shaped diaphragmassociated with` the source of sound vibrations, the enlarged end of thecone-shaped diaphragm being attached to the cabinet at points adjacent'the opening in the latter, and an auxiliary diaphragm interposed betweenthe enlarged end of the cone-shaped diaphragm and the cabinet, the saidauxiliary diaphragm including a plurality of spaced ring shaped supportshaving a series of tubular members secured thereto.

15. In sound reproducing apparatus, sound reproducing means having adiaphragm associated therewith, and a plurality of tubular membersengaging with the diaphragm.

16. In sound reproducing apparatus, a sound board having a sound openingtherein, sound reproducing means positioned adjacent the sound board,and a plurality of tubular members interposed between the sound boardand the Asound reproducing means, certain of the tubular yof sound, avibratory diaphragm associated with the source of sound, the saiddiaphragm having 'a rim thereon, and a plurality of tubular membersengaging the rim of the diaphragm.

RAYMOND E. BOWLEY.

